Method and system for characterizing cortical structures

Abstract

A method of identifying brain structures is disclosed. The method comprises imaging the cortex of the brain via inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging, such that at least two areas are zeroed in terms of their longitudinal relaxation times, and associating the two areas with different brain structures, thereby identifying brain structures.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of identifying brain structures, comprising:
 by an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, imaging the cortex of the brain such that at least two regions in the cortex are characterized by different characteristic recovery times; 
 by an image processor, associating, based on said recovery times, said at least two regions with different brain structures, thereby identifying brain structures; and 
 generating a displayed output indicative of an abnormal laminar pattern based on said brain structures. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising associating said abnormal laminar pattern with a brain disease. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein said associating comprises accessing a computer readable medium storing a searchable library of previously acquired brain structures associated with brain diseases, and comparing said brain structure to at least one of said previously acquired brain structures. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein said brain disease is selected from the group consisting of Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, tourette's syndrome, mania, obsessive compulsive disorder and autism. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising treating said brain disease. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating said imaging and said associating at different times for the same cortex so as to identify changes in a brain structure of the cortex. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising assessing brain plasticity based on said changes. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising assessing changes in brain function based on said changes in said brain structure. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising analyzing images obtained by said MRI system so as to classify different regions of the cortex to a laminar pattern. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least two regions comprises at least five laminar cortical layers, each corresponding to a different characteristic longitudinal relaxation time. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying at least one Brodmann region among said at least two regions. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said magnetic resonance imaging is at a resolution characterized by a unit voxel size of at least 1 cubic millimeter. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising combining diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging with said inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising combining functional magnetic resonance imaging with said inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging. 
     
     
       15. A computer software product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive magnetic resonance data describing a cortex of a brain in a manner that at least two regions in said cortex are characterized by different characteristic recovery times, to process said data such as to associate said at least two regions with different brain structures, and to generate on a display an output indicative of an abnormal laminar pattern based on said at least two regions with different brain structures. 
     
     
       16. A system for identifying brain structures, comprising;
 a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system configured for imaging the cortex of the brain such that at least two regions in the cortex are characterized by different characteristic recovery times; and 
 an image processor configured for receiving magnetic resonance data from said MRI system, for processing said data such as to associate said at least two regions with different brain structures, and for generating on a display an output indicative of an abnormal laminar pattern based on said at least two regions with different brain structures. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein said MRI system is configured for imaging the cortex by at least one additional MRI technique selected from the group consisting of diffusion weighted MRI and functional MRI, to provide additional magnetic resonance data, and wherein said processor is configured for combining said additional magnetic resonance data with said magnetic resonance data. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 16 , wherein said image processor is configured for analyzing said data to classify different regions of the cortex to a laminar pattern. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 16 , wherein said image processor is configured for identifying at least one Brodmann region among said at least two regions.